Lee John Sidwell (born 22 June 1977) is an English former footballer who played as a central midfielder in the Combined Counties League and Isthmian League.
Career
Crystal Palace Sidwell began his career with the youth academy of Colliers Wood United before he moved to Crystal Palace in 1991 at the age of fourteen; injuries forced him to leave the club in 1996.
First spell at Netherne/Netherne Village He then joined Combined Counties Football League club Netherne during the 1996–97 season, and he left the club when they were forced to drop out of the Combined Counties League in May 1999 as the Netherne C.A.S.C. did not have floodlights.
Chipstead Sidwell joined Combined Counties Football League club Chipstead ahead of the 1999–2000 season and he played alongside Netherne Village teammate Danny Oakins. He left in June 2001.
Second spell at Netherne Village He rejoined Netherne Village on a one-year deal during the 2001–02 Surrey County Senior League.
AFC Wimbledon
2002–03 He joined newly formed club AFC Wimbledon ahead of the 2002–03 Combined Counties League season alongside Danny Oakins. He debuted for AFC Wimbledon during their 3–2 win against Enfield Town in the inaugural Supporters Direct Cup on 12 August 2002 in which he also scored, and he also played during the 2–1 win against Sandhurst Town in their first ever league fixture on 17 August 2002. He then scored his first league goal for AFC Wimbledon during a 3–2 victory against Cove on 24 August 2002.
He scored all three goals during the 3–0 victory against Walton Casuals on 26 April 2003, and he won the 2002–03 AFC Wimbledon Player of the Year award as a result of scoring the hat-trick on the same day the voting forms were handed out to supporters.
2003–04 During 2003–04, Sidwell was often a substitute ahead of Andy Sullivan, and he won both the Combined Counties League and the Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup with the club.
2004–05 He played two matches for AFC Wimbledon during the 2004–05 season.
After making 84 appearances and scoring 17 goals in all competitions, Sidwell left AFC Wimbledon in September 2004.
Two spells at Whyteleafe, and second spell at Chipstead Sidwell joined Whyteleafe in September 2004. He debuted during the 2–0 loss against Molesey on 11 September 2004, and he scored his first goal for Whyteleafe on 9 October 2004 during the 2–1 loss against Leatherhead.
In the 2007–08 season, he rejoined Chipstead and reunited again with Oakins, where he won the Southern Combination Challenge Cup; he was back at Whyteleafe during the following season.
At the age of 32, he would end his footballing career at Whyteleafe during the 2009–10 season.
He played in a Whyteleafe Legends charity match on 18 January 2015.
Personal life Sidwell has a sister, Louise, and a brother, Steve. Steve was also a footballer between 2001 and 2018, and he spent most of his career playing for clubs in the Premier League.
Aside from being a footballer, he also worked as a scaffolder.
Career statistics +Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNetherne Village1996–97Combined Counties Football League354—303841997–98Combined Counties Football League345—303751998–99Combined Counties Football League325—41366Total10114—10111115Chipstead1999–2000Combined Counties Football League336—734092000–01Combined Counties Football League347—834210Netherne Village2001–02Surrey County Senior League201—70271Total7713—22810920AFC Wimbledon2002–03Combined Counties Football League4111—8150132003–04Combined Counties Football League284—513352004–05Isthmian League Division One00101020Total6915101438417Whyteleafe2004–05Isthmian League Division One 32310403732005–06Isthmian League Division One 35520514262006–07Isthmian League Division One South3133050393Chipstead2007–08Isthmian League Division One South3131080403Whyteleafe2008–09Isthmian League Division One South28210403422009–10Isthmian League Division One South2412030291Total1811710029122118Career total43860110751052571
Honours Netherne Village
Surrey County Charity Cup: runner-up 2001–02
Chipstead Southern Combination Challenge Cup: 2007–08 AFC Wimbledon
Combined Counties Football League: 2003–04, third place 2002–03 Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup: 2003–04 Supporters Direct Cup: 2003
Individual AFC Wimbledon Player of the Year: 2002–03
References